Lettera aperta al Ministro della Giustizia

Alla cortese attenzione del Ministro della Giustizia Annamaria Cancellieri,

Onorevole Ministro,

Le scrivo in merito alle parole da Lei pronunciate sulla revisione del decreto Fini Giovanardi e sulle conseguenze che quello scellerato decreto ha portato.
Il problema delle carceri è infatti esploso a seguito dell' approvazione di tale decreto, sul quale sono presenti dubbi riguardo la sua stessa costituzionalità.
E' urgente una totale revisione della normativa sugli stupefacenti, seguendo le convenzioni internazionali, ma anche prendendo in considerazione l' idea che tali convenzioni potrebbero essere riscritte.
Vorrei in oltre portare la sua attenzione sull' ultimo rapporto dell' Europol riguardo la criminalità organizzata in Europa (''Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment'') che ha evidenziato come il traffico di stupefacenti sia la prima fonte di finanziamento delle organizzazioni criminali.
I dati più eclatanti di questo rapporto sono i numeri che riguardano le maggiori sostanze stupefacenti trafficate, che vedono al primo posto la cannabis e i suoi derivati.
Riporto una traduzione dalla stampa del trattato:

 "La cannabis resta lo stupefacenti preferito, con 23 milioni di consumatori in tutto il Continente per un mercato che vale 1.300 tonnellate di hashish e 1.200 tonnellate di erba ogni anno. La cocaina resta al secondo posto con 4 milioni di consumatori che consumano 124 tonnellate annualmente."

Questi numeri sottolineano il totale fallimento della cosiddetta "war on drugs" e l' approccio che negli ultimi dieci anni è stato portato avanti dal Dipartimento per le politiche antidroga.
I vari documenti redatti da questo dipartimento sono nulla più che fogli di propaganda, privi di evidenze scientifiche, una accozzaglia di estratti scritti sotto una prospettiva ideologica, che non considera il fallimento su scala planetaria della strategia studiata nel 1998 nella sessione speciale dell'assemblea generale delle Nazioni Unite di New York. Allora dichiararono la guerra mondiale contro le droghe. Sono passati 15 anni e il risultato è che, nel mondo, non solo in Europa, il traffico di droga è la prima fonte di finanziamento del crimine organizzato, la prima causa di destabilizzazione politica in centro e sud america, la prima causa di conflitto in Afghanistan e causa di numerosi problemi in Africa, nuova via commerciale del traffico di stupefacenti dal sud America all' Europa.

Una prima ed efficace via per affrontare il problema in maniera pragmatica, è affrontare il problema della tossicodipendenza sotto un punto di vista sanitario, come già avviene in numerosi paesi dell' unione europea, come la Svizzera, l' Olanda, la Spagna, il Portogallo, la Repubblica Ceca, solo per citarne alcuni.
La dismissione del DPA, le dimissione dell' attuale direttore, Il dott. Giovanni Serpelloni, e la destinazione della delega sulle tossicodipendenze ai miniseri dell' integrazione sociale o della sanità, sarebbero il primo pilastro di una nuova politica volta al recupero e alla prevenzione all' utilizzo delle sostanze stupefacenti.

Da un punto di vista economico e sociale, come il rapporto dell' Europol evidenzia, la cannabis dovrebbe essere la priorità di discussione in un piano di revisione dell' attuale normativa sugli stupefacenti.
Con più precisione, da un punto di vista economico, sono numerosi i premi nobel per l' economia che trovano nelle attuali politiche proibizioniste, una fonte di sprechi, inefficienze e fonte di problematiche che una tolleranza ed una tassazione sulle sostanze psicotrope sicuramente mitigherebbero.
Come precedentemente ricordato, le convenzioni internazionali non sono favorevoli per una legalizzazione della cannabis, ma ne riconoscono l' impiego terapeutico.
La vendita, sotto prescrizione medica, di cannabis per scopi terapeutici, così come già avviene in diciannove stati degli USA, attraverso dispensari privati di cannabis, è la soluzione più indicata per risolvere diversi problemi, senza arrivare ad una legalizzazione della sostanza.
L' impiego terapeutico della cannabis e dei suoi derivati è già stato riconosciuto dal precedente Governo Monti attraverso un decreto dell' ex ministro della Sanità.
Se come lei ha affermato, non ha ancora "iniziato una riflessione" sulla attuale normativa fallimentare sulle sostanze stupefacenti, questi potrebbero e dovrebbero essere punti dai quali iniziare.

Washington Lawmakers To Eric Holder: 'Respect The Will Of The Voters' On Marijuana Policy

Seven Democrats from Washington's congressional delegation called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder this week to consider the results of last year's election as he determines how the Department of Justice will respond to the state's successful marijuana legalization effort.
"As federal representatives of these states we request that your Department's course of action in this matter respect the will of the voters, and that you announce this course of action as soon as possible to assure our citizens that they will not be penalized by the federal government for activities legal under state law," the letter, signed by the state's two senators and five of its congresspeople, read. "[W]e hope that you will exercise your significant discretionary authority by choosing not to purse preemption of these laws, or prosecute our residents and state employees acting in compliance with these laws."
In November, Washington voters passed I-502, an initiative that legalized marijuana for recreational use and began the process of setting up a system of taxation and regulation. Colorado also passed a similar measure, Amendment 64. Both were approved by a margin of more than 10 percent.
The moves have left Holder and the DOJ to make a decision about how the administration will treat these states that now openly flout federal law, which considers cannabis an illegal Schedule I substance. In February, Holder said an announcement was coming "soon." Nearly four months later, there has been no visible movement.
As HuffPost's Ryan Grim and Ryan J. Reilly reported earlier this year, some experts believe the DOJ will decide to treat the newer recreational marijuana laws differently than state medical marijuana laws. While medical marijuana laws are seen as a somewhat limited encroachment on federal policy, many officials within Holder's department and the Drug Enforcement Administration consider recreational marijuana laws to be a full-out assault on federal law:

The Justice Department may respond to the legalization of recreational marijuana in Washington and Colorado in several ways. One option would be to go after low-level marijuana users as scapegoats and seek a court ruling that would declare federal law trumps state law. One of the more extreme options, which officials acknowledge is currently being weighed by the department's Civil Division, would be to preempt the laws by suing the states in the same way the feds sued Arizona over its harsh immigration law. Federal authorities could sue Washington and Colorado on the basis that any effort to regulate marijuana would violate the federal Controlled Substances Act.

Perhaps aware of that possibility, the Washington Democrats touted the steps the state already had taken to ensure the legitimacy of the legal marijuana industry and urged restraint from Holder.
“During a time of constrained federal resources, we believe DOJ has higher priorities than the pursuit of legal action against persons in compliance with the laws of the states,” the letter read. “We expect and encourage your continued prosecution of activities that occur outside the bounds of state law.”
As the Seattle Times reports, the public statement by the federal lawmakers is likely to help shore up support from pot advocates who had expressed frustration at their general silence on the issue.
Read their entire letter here.

David Nutt: ban on drug research 'worst scientific censorship since Galileo'

Former chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs David Nutt has called international drug laws "the worst case of scientific censorship since the Catholic Church banned the works of Copernicus and Galileo".

In Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Nutt has co-written a paper arguing that "the decision to outlaw these drugs was based on their perceived dangers, but in many cases the harms have been overstated" and that psychoactive drugs must be exempted from global UN conventions on drugs.

Nutt's co-authors are fellow former Council member Leslie King and University of Carolina pharmacologist David Nichols. Nutt was (in)famously sacked from his government advisor position in 2009 for arguing that government drug policy should be evidence-based.
In a statement quoted by Reuters, Nutt continued: "The laws have never been updated despite scientific advances and growing evidence that many of these drugs are relatively safe. And there appears to be no way for the international community to make such changes. This hindering of research and therapy is motivated by politics, not science."
"If we adopted a more rational approach to drug regulation, it would empower researchers to make advances in the study of consciousness and brain mechanisms of psychosis, and could lead to major treatment innovations in areas such as depression and PTSD," he said.
Nutt had announced in April that he wished to begin experiments in treating psylocibin -- the active ingredient in magic mushrooms -- and had secured funding to do so, but he has since struggled to obtain approval thanks to strict anti-psychoactive research regulations and legislation.

David Nutt: ban on drug research 'worst scientific censorship since Galileo'

Effects of Schedule I drug laws on neuroscience research and treatment innovation

Many psychoactive drugs are used recreationally, particularly by young people. This use and its perceived dangers have led to many different classes of drugs being banned under national laws and international conventions. Indeed, the possession of cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA; also known as ecstasy) and psychedelics is stringently regulated. An important and unfortunate outcome of the controls placed on these and other psychoactive drugs is that they make research into their mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic uses — for example, in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder — difficult and in many cases almost impossible.

Effects of Schedule I drug laws on neuroscience research and treatment innovation

Million Marjiuana March, in piazza per la cannabis libera

Former Microsoft exec's Colorado pot plans questioned

Jamen Shively, CEO of Diego Pellicer and a former Microsoft executive

By Eric Gorski
The Denver Post

Jamen Shively is a former Microsoft executive who wants to see the visage of his hemp-growing great-great- grandfather become the Juan Valdez of weed.

But Shively's plans to create the first national marijuana brand — with a strong presence in Colorado soon — is encountering heavy skepticism about running afoul of state laws and inviting federal scrutiny.

Shively said his Washington state company is close to acquiring rights that will allow him to put its Diego Pellicer brand name on a chain of Colorado medical-marijuana dispensaries. If legal, it would prove a creative way around laws barring out-of-state ownership and restricting investment in Colorado pot businesses.

"We want to be the dominant player in the United States market," Shively said. "Whether in the form of acquisitions or a strategic alliance, we are very interested in exploring Colorado."

Colorado is fertile ground as a state that established elaborate regulations for medical marijuana and, along with Washington state, last year became the first to legalize recreational use for adults.

Some outside investors sense opportunity in side businesses that do not grow or sell marijuana, and thus carry less risk — including a private equity firm run by Yale MBAs that is scouting prospects in Colorado.

Of the entrepreneurs trying to get in on the ground floor, Shively has been among the most public.He laid out his vision at a news conference May 30 in Seattle with a high-profile booster at his side: the former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox.

Fox, an acquaintance of Shively's from business dealings in Mexico, supports marijuana legalization and appeared at Shively's invitation. Fox said he is not involved in the business venture.

The 45-year-old Shively, a former Microsoft corporate strategy manager, is seeking investors in a company named for his great-great-grandfather. According to the company, Pellicer was the world's largest hemp grower in the 1890s, supplying rope from his home base in the Philippines to Spanish forces in the Spanish-American War.

Shively already has a deal with a chain of Washington state dispensaries and is negotiating with interests in other states, he said. The company plans to get involved in medical and recreational pot.

"Yes, we are Big Marijuana," Shively announced.

Some news media accounts have said Shively's company has purchased or is about to purchase Colorado dispensaries, but he said that is not true.

Shively said his company is "very close" to finalizing the acquisition of a "specific set of rights" from a Colorado medical-marijuana dispensary company with multiple locations.

He declined to identify the company or go into detail about the rights, citing a confidentiality agreement. But he was confident enough to predict the Diego Pellicer name would appear on Colorado dispensaries in a month or so.

"To operate in this environment, we've had to get pretty creative in terms of our deal structure and exactly what right this will give us," he said.

Shively said he is hopeful restrictions eventually will be loosened and allow for more direct involvement in the Colorado pot industry.

Others are skeptical.

"I don't know how it will work — someone will carry his brand for payment?" said Meg Collins, director of the Cannabis Business Alliance, a trade group for Colorado medical marijuana interests. "All of us were kind of scratching our heads. Every conversation we've had with the Department of Revenue has been pretty clear they want to make sure it's Colorado money being invested in Colorado businesses."

State officials would need to review the arrangement before weighing in, said Julie Postlethwait, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Revenue division that oversees medical and recreational marijuana regulations.

Colorado law says licensed marijuana business owners must be residents of the state for at least two years. Out-of-state interests may loan money to Colorado pot businesses but may not share in profits or have any equity stake.

Mark Kleiman, a professor of public policy at the University of California at Los Angeles, who is part of a team hired by Washington state to help craft its recreational pot rules, questioned whether Shively is most interested in promoting his company's stock.

"Maybe he has good legal advice that he can lend a brand name and not be considered by the federal government to be distributing cannabis," he said. "Boy, I wouldn't want to defend that case. ... Nobody has identified anything about this whole thing that makes sense."

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and Shively said federal scrutiny is a concern. But he claimed his company's plans do not run against the Obama administration's approach to marijuana.

Generally, the federal government has made enforcement of marijuana laws a low priority. But large operations continue to be targeted, and it's anyone's guess how federal authorities will respond to recreational industries taking shape in Colorado and Washington.

Other businesses are more quietly looking to invest in Colorado.

Partners in Seattle-based Privateer Holdings keep shared office space in Denver and are working on two acquisitions that should be finalized within 90 days, a spokeswoman said, declining to elaborate.

The private equity firm started by partners with Yale MBAs is focused on businesses that do not produce or sell marijuana and already has purchased Leafly, a sort of Yelp for dispensaries and cannabis strains.

Joe Megyesy, a lobbyist on marijuana issues, said out-of-state interest in Colorado can be a double-edged sword — potentially giving the industry legitimacy while putting it at risk of federal attention.

"Maybe," he said, "it could push the federal government into changing their tune and saying, 'Hey, maybe we should stop wasting money trying to make this substance illegal and instead generate tax revenue not just for enforcement but other government services.' "

Eric Gorski: 303-954-1971, egorski@denverpost.com or twitter.com/egorski

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read more: Former Microsoft exec's Colorado pot plans questioned - The Denver Post

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Cannabis Social Club Racale (LE) – Associazione no profit – Un aiuto reciproco tra malati

La legalizzazione della cannabis in parlamento

Gentile Senatore della repubblica Marino Germano Mastrangeli,

Ho votato il Movimento 5 Stelle (M5s) solo perchè la Sua proposta di portare avanti la legalizzazione e tassazione della Cannabis era l' unica proposta seria nel M5S.

Sono stato veramente colpito dalla Sua esclusione e le scrivo per portarle il mio supporto, per quanto una lettera di un singolo cittadino possa contare.

Credo fermamente nella democrazia e, a differenza di molti, presenti anche nel m5s, che tra il dire di essere democratici ed esserlo nel vero senso del termine, rinnegano la possibilità di parlare apertamente.

Mi è infatti capitato che, all' interno del M5S, ad una riunione  di un gruppo per la presentazionedeil "portale" del movimento, nessuno era neppure consapevole del fatto che la legalizzazione della cannabis era la SECONDA PROPOSTA PIU' VOTATA IN ASSOLUTO NEL FORUM.

Come "elettore" di questa proposta, sarei lieto se LEI portasse avanti questa causa anche e soprattutto ora che è in parlamento.

E' stata depositata una proposta di referendum nei giorni scorsi, in qui era presente anche la richiesta di legalizzare la cannabis.

Sarei felice se Lei, come anche mio rappresentante in Senato, potesse continuare a portare avanti questa battaglia.

Le sono affianco e la saluto con stima.